Telegraph: Traditional camera film makes a come back

[Plate Voltage]

As much as I'm not interested in buying a Holga or Diana camera and never participated in any lomography, I can't object to those who do if it drives film demand and helps manufacturers stay in production because that benefits all of us who do film photography with higher quality equipment.

In a way, this situation's similar to the one that audio guys who like vacuum tubes find themselves in. The volume of vacuum tube business done by electric guitar players is large compared to the number of people running tube amplifiers at home. However, even the most die hard classical music fan that can't stand rock and roll and hates the sound of electric guitars won't object to large volumes of guitar players buying EL34 tubes for their Marshall amps, for example, when it keep the few remaining tube makers in business and helps ensure the ongoing availability of new tubes for their stereo amplifier by extension. I wouldn't be too hard on the lomogrophers since high-quality film photographers also stand to benefit from the increased film sales they generate regardless of how or with what equipment the lomographers run it through.

[Vilk]

Instead of die-hipster-die it should be shoot-hipster-shoot.

...and then die

[Chan Tran]

I can't believe the price of some of these Lomo cameras. They can't be that good can they?

[michaelbsc]

I can't believe the price of some of these Lomo cameras. They can't be that good can they?

No. But the marketing is that good. My nephew wanted one, and he asked me about it. I offered him a pristine Yashica D, but it just didn't measure up in his eyes.

[zsas]

Not sure where to put this info.

Sorry to report that Kodak's earnings released today reported a 14% decrease in the film division ($396 million 2nd quarter 2011 vs $460 2nd quarter 2010). Let's hope it stabilizes and increases again!

"...film group revenue down 14 percent at $396 million."

Per:

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Kodak-...130566025.html

[Diapositivo]

The ugly side of these reports is that you can rarely find the information you look for. In the case of Kodak, it would be very interesting to see a break-down of profit (and loss) for each division. I understand that the repartition of certain fixed and overhead costs over product lines is quite artificial and debatable, but some information would be better than no information at all.

Specifically I would like to ask Kodak: is the film division profitable? We don't know the answer. 14% decrease in revenue is no small decrease, but it might be that the division is still "profitable", given a certain arbitrary allocation of common costs.

This new 600ppi POD-quasi-offset printing technology is very interesting, but where is it? Who sells it? If APUG wanted to print a book with this technology, where would they go?

[michaelbsc]

The ugly side of these reports is that you can rarely find the information you look for. .....

Specifically I would like to ask Kodak: is the film division profitable? We don't know the answer. 14% decrease in revenue is no small decrease, but it might be that the division is still "profitable", given a certain arbitrary allocation of common costs.

This was exactly what I thought as well, where's the real meat? Revenues are down 14%, but as PE pointed out that they've closed a whole production line in the past quarter so what are their cost savings? Has the margin gone up? (Probably not, but we can hope.)

MB

[zsas]

I think I have an answer to the above questions related to earnings of the Film Division. I found it in the quarterly report. I believe I calculate a 94% decline in earnings ($2 million 2Q11 earnings vs $36 million 2Q10 earnings). I sure hope they can continue to make profits in our Film Division!!!

"Film, Photofinishing and Entertainment Group second-quarter sales were $396 million, a 14% decline from the year-ago quarter, driven by continuing industry-related volume declines. Second-quarter earnings from operations for the segment were $2 million, compared with earnings of $36 million in the year-ago period. This decrease in earnings was primarily driven by significantly increased raw material costs, particularly silver, and industry-related declines in volumes, partially offset by cost reductions and price actions across the segment."

per Kodak's 2nd Quarter 2011 Results
http://investor.kodak.com/phoenix.zh...842&highlight=

[Plate Voltage]

Specifically, how much of that decline is attributable to the Entertainment part of that division? A breakdown of film sales changes by product would be interesting. A good chunk of that could be explained if Hollywood's been shooting more digital and less Kodak Vision while Ektachrome and Portra sales could be more or less unchanged, for example.

[fred]

This is indeed good news!
We can use it. Let's start with an apug 'worldwide open door day' (apug-wwodd), once a year, where we invite all young lomographers (and all the others youngsters) to our darkrooms and where we show all (at least a part of it) our knowledge around analogue photography? (off course: free of charge)

A apug world wide open door day? What do you think? For example in the month march or november.... typical darkroom days here... :-)

Kind regards
Fred